Our Sermons
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
John 16:33 NLT “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”
How do I trust God when it seems everything around and about me is falling apart? Have you ever asked this question? Life is tough and unpredictable and sometimes does not turn out the way we plan. Jesus said that we will have tribulations in this imperfect world (John 16:33). Too often we ignore this truth and focus only on the good God’s Word promises. When unexpected devastating events happen to us or around us, faith can give way to fear, worry, anxiety, helplessness, and hopelessness. Where is God? Why is He allowing this to happen? Can we trust Him? Let me assure you that God is still on His throne, He loves you, and He can be trusted. You must trust God at all times, because He is the source of your peace in the midst of storm (Isaiah 26:3). If we focus on Christ and turn our attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we will hear tender words like a whisper in our ears, Trust me, I know what I am doing. This situation is subject to change, and it will not consume you. There is good ahead. Keep following Me and I will lead you there. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). The way we can focus on Christ and turn our attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, when things fall apart, is to act on this commandment “be not afraid, only believe (Mark5:36). That is when God takes over when things fall apart!
Psalm 55:22 NIV “Cast your cares on the Lord.”
The prevailing conditions in the world today coupled with unfulfilled expectations as we go through life’s challenges, can cause us stress and anxiety. When we are stressed, the surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming. And if we do not unburden our emotions before God, it is easy to make wrong decisions, succumb to wrong impulses, move in the wrong direction, and get angry at the wrong people. The Psalmist addresses this: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NIV says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” The extent to which you consciously lean on God, drawing strength from Him, is the extent to which you will lower your anxiety level. It is no coincidence that many of the Psalms start with David crying out to God for help and end with him rejoicing because he vented his frustrations to the right person, God! Understand the fact that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it. Your job, your finances, your marriage, your children, your health, and your future are all sources of anxiety, so you will never be totally free from the temptation to worry. The Lord Jesus Christ emphasized the futility of anxiety and worry in Matthew 6:27 NIV “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” But you can lower your anxiety level by following Paul’s instruction (Philippians 4:6 NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The more you pray, the less you will panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. Worry about nothing but pray about everything!
Matthew 13:17 NKJV “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
An affirmation is the act of confirming something to be true or statement or sign that something is true. Positive affirmation plays an important and useful role in personal relationships as couples, parents, friends, and associates. There are accounts in the Bible where God, the Farther, gave positive affirmation, to God the Son, Jesus Christ: after baptism in Jordan River, Matthew 13:17“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” At the mount of transfiguration, Mark 9:7 “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him”. Jesus Christ received affirmation from His disciples, when Apostle Peter declared through the Holy Spirit “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16. Jesus positively affirmed Himself in many scriptures, like in John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Parents you need to affirm your children positively from God’s word, “They are fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14. The words of God are His divine declaration of grace. We need to extend those words of grace to every relationship God has blessed us with. God affirms you not because of your perfection but because of his boundless love and grace. It is a reminder that in Christ, you are loved and accepted. The Lord Jesus Christ calls us His friends (John 15:15). Meditate of these Biblical affirmation: God is doing a good work in me – Philippians 1:6; God created me and knows me – Psalm 139:13; My past no longer has power over me – 2 Corinthians 5:17; God is for me – Romans 8:31; God has my back and I am strong because of Him –Isaiah 35:4.
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
Every relationship is preserved and nourished though fellowship, and the greatest tool of fellowship is communication. Salt has many different purposes. One is adding taste to food. And grace adds flavor to speech. Salt is a preservative, and speech that issues out of the nature of grace will preserve relationships. “Let your speech always be with grace.” Ephesians 4:29 admonishes us “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. “Do you know what grace is? Grace is not giving people what they deserve; grace is giving them what they need. You say, “My wife does not deserve that kind of speech,” or “My husband does not deserve those words,” but that is more reason to speak with grace because the other person needs it. Do you know why people cannot be intimate in relationship? One of the reasons is because we are afraid to expose ourselves. We are afraid we will get criticized. If I expose my inadequacy, then I’m afraid I will not be accepted. Out of acceptance grows trust. And then out of trust, there comes intimacy. And so, you see, intimacy can only grow where there is a place of safety. Grace gives space for safety, and it builds bridges instead of tearing them down. When has someone extended grace to you when you did not deserve it? What would it look like to extend grace to the people around you? What makes that difficult? The answer might be pride. Consider a recent conflict you were in. How did you act at that moment? How might you have responded more graciously? I encourage you today to be gracious with your speech in all your relationships!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”
We face situations on a daily basis that fall into the category of “battles”. Health issues, marital issues, financial issues, children’s issues, career and business issues, just to mention a few. They could be daunting. But our winning or losing the battle (s) is very much dependent on our focus: the external forces or our internal armory. As a child of God, you have residing inside of your spirit-being, He that is greater than the devil and all his cohorts (1 John 4:4). You have to renew your mind (Romans 12:2) to the truth that in Christ Jesus, you are more than conqueror (Romans 8:37). In Christ Jesus, you are an overcomer. In Christ Jesus you triumph always (2 Corinthians 2:14). You will never be defeated as long as you keep your focus on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). God, who is in you, is greater than anything you will ever face. The Greater One is in you! You must resist and cast down any contrary thought the enemy might try to place in your mind (2 Corinthians 10:5). The battle ground is in the mind. That is where the battle is won or lost! David understood this principle as he confronted and defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45-46).
HEBREWS 6:11-12 NKJ “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Hope is confident positive expectation. This verse tells us we should never give up hope, which is a positive expectation. No matter how many failures you experience, or how much time has passed, do not quit expecting a positive outcome in the end. What is the end? It is when you see your desire manifest. But this requires a combination of faith and perseverance. Too many people give up and accept defeat too soon. They are like a sports team that, just because it is not winning after the first half of the game, decides to go home and not even play the rest of the game. But there have been many examples where a team trailing behind at first half eventually won the game at second half. The Super bowl 51 victory of New England Patriots over Atlanta Falcons was a classic lesson in perseverance and hoping till the end. They were trailing by 25 points, and it looked like they already lost the game. But they never gave up. They kept their hope of winning alive and they won! A lot of people always quit too soon on their marriage, their job, relationships, or business. When you are doing God’s will, continue to have a positive expectation because God is good, and He is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). My encouragement to you today: do not give up; your miracle is on the way!